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Getting Around New Zealand: By bike
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You can bring your own bike, as well as hire a bike in some of the larger cities. You must wear a helmet while riding, otherwise you may be fined. When hiring a bike you should be supplied with a helmet. Also remember to ride on the left.
Riding bikes in New Zealand can be fun, but be aware of buses and trucks on main highways as overtaking distances can be slim. You should also be prepared for the large distances between towns and cities and the generally windy weather. While some areas of New Zealand are flat, most tourists cycling in New Zealand will find that they need to be able to cope with long periods of cycling up hills, especially in the Coromandel.
Being a temperate coastal climate, the weather is changeable and it is recommended that cyclists have all options covered. It is often said that in New Zealand you can get four seasons in one day, particularly in the high country which has been made famous as the film location of Middle Earth in the filmed versions of Lord of the Rings. Due to ozone depletion above NZ and Australia, burn times in the summer are often shorter relative to elsewhere in the world, and a factor 15 or greater sunscreen is essential to avoid the discomfort of sunburn.
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Flying with your bike means coping with airline regulations, transit and storing when not in use. You can choose to get a bike on arrival in New Zealand, or to use a self guided or guided cycle tour operator. Christchurch has the largest number of guided and self-guided tour operators www.cyclehire.co.nz and there are a number of bike rental companies based there also. There are also several tour operators who incorporate cycling with tours such as Active New Zealand www.activenewzealand.com and Pedal Tours www.pedaltours.co.nz.
- Fanning Island, a meteorological station
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